BARNSLEY dented West Bromwhich Albion's promotion charge with a shock, but not undeserved, Championship victory at Oakwell.

Daniel Nardiello, currently on loan from QPR, fired home the opener from 12 yards on the half-hour mark to give the hosts a slender advantage in a lively clash.

Jon Macken then pounced in first-half injury-time to double their lead after Lewin Nyatanga's header had been cleared off the line.

And despite James Morrison's strike 13 minutes after the restart, Barnsley held on to secure a worthy victory and topple West Brom from the summit of the table.

Baggies boss Tony Mowbray made two changes to the side that beat Burnley last weekend, Filipe Teixeira and Chris Brunt coming in for Zoltan Gera and Robert Koren.

Counterpart Simon Davey also introduced two new faces in a bid to bounce back from the Tykes' crushing 4-0 defeat at Coventry, Martin Devaney and Robert Kozluk replacing Jamal Campbell-Ryce and ineligible West Brom loanee Tininho.

And it was the hosts who flew out of the blocks, Nardiello rifling an effort against a post from inside the penalty area after just 62 seconds.

Diego Leon also went close for the Tykes just a minute later, drilling a 30-yard strike over the bar.

Robert Kozluk was next to try his luck, forcing a save from Albion goalkeeper Dean Kiely, before Brian Howard curled a free-kick over the crossbar.

The visitors weathered Barnsley's early storm and slowly started to impose themselves as the half wore on, Morrison firing an effort narrowly wide.

Yet, it was Barnsley who took the lead after 30 minutes, the lively Nardiello finding himself with enough time in the area to drill his effort into the bottom corner.

Both sides created openings as the half drew to a close but it was Barnsley who piled the pressure on the high-flying Baggies when Macken converted just before the interval.

Mowbray was forced to make two changes at the break as West Brom looked to engineer a way back into the game, Craig Beattie and Leon Barnett coming on for Roman Bednar and Bostjan Cesar.

And their new approach almost paid dividends immediately as Teixeira forced a save from Tony Warner within 32 seconds of the restart.

Morrison and Barnett also tested Warner in the opening stages of the second half before the visitors' pressure finally paid off just before the hour mark.

A flowing move found Kevin Phillips in the opposition third and he backheeled the ball into the path of Morrison, who hammered home into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

The hosts responded positively and Brian Howard was denied by a good save from Kiely.

Both sides continued to attack as the game entered the closing stages, with Phillips a real handful for the Barnsley defence.

But the Baggies failed break through a resilient Tykes defence and slipped to second in the table after Watford's victory at Ipswich.